A conventional. oil pump includes an inner rotor having (n: “n” is a natural number) external teeth, an outer rotor having (n+1) internal teeth meshing with the external teeth, and a casing forming a suction port for drawing the fluid and a discharge port for discharging the fluid In association with rotation of the inner rotor, the external teeth thereof mesh with the internal teeth of the outer rotor, thus rotating this outer rotor and the fluid is drawn/discharged according to volume changes of a plurality of cells formed between the two rotors.
On its forward side and rear side along its rotational direction, each cell is delimited by the contact between the external teeth of the inner rotor and the internal teeth of the outer rotor, and on respective opposed lateral sides thereof, the cell is delimited by the casing. With these, there is formed an independent fluid conveying chamber. In the course of the meshing process between the external teeth and the internal teeth, the volume of each cell becomes minimum and then increases, thereby drawing the fluid as the cell moves along the suction port. Then, after the volume becomes maximum, the volume decreases, thereby discharging the fluid, as the cell moves along the discharge port.
The oil pump having the above-described construction, due to its compact and simple construction, is widely used as a lubricant oil pump for a motorcar, an automatic speed change oil pump for a motorcar, etc. In case the oil pump is mounted in a motorcar, as a driving means for this oil pump, there is known a crankshaft direct drive in which the inner rotor is directly coupled with the engine crankshaft so that the pump is driven by engine revolution.
Incidentally, as examples of oil pump, various types are disclosed, including a type using an inner rotor and an outer rotor whose teeth are formed of a cycloid curve (e.g. Patent Document 1), a further type using an inner rotor whose teeth are formed of an envelope of a family of arcs having centers on a trochoid curve (e.g. Patent Document 2), a still further type using an inner rotor and an outer rotor whose teach are formed of two arcs tangent to each other (e.g. Patent Document 3), and a still further type using an inner rotor and an outer rotor whose tooth profiles comprise modifications of the above-described respective types.
In recent years, there is witnessed increasing tendency of the discharge capacity of the oil pump, due to e.g. change in the engine valve operating system, addition of a piston cooling oil jet associated with increased output. On the other hand, for reduction of friction in the engine in view point of fuel saving, there is a need for reducing the size/diameter of the oil pump. Increase of the discharge amount of oil pump is generally realized by reduction in the number of teeth. However, such reduction in the number of teeth of the oil pump results in increase in the discharge amount per each cell, thus leading to increase in ripple, which leads, in turn, to vibration of e.g. a pump housing and generation of noise associated therewith.
As a technique to reduce the ripple so as to restrict noise generation, the commonly employed method is to increase the number of teeth. However, increase in the number of teeth for a waveform formed by e.g. a theoretical cycloid curve, results in reduction in the discharge amount. So that, in order to ensure a required discharge amount, this requires either enlargement of the outer diameter of the rotor or increase in the axial thickness thereof. Consequently, there is invited such problem as enlargement, weight increase, increase of friction, etc.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application “Kokai” No. 2005-076563
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application “Kokai” No. 09-256963
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application “Kokai” No. 61-008484